Support for New Mothers

As new mothers, many women are often surprised with how difficult the transition to taking care of an infant can be. Coping with the lack of sleep, difficulties with feeding and nursing, caring for a new baby, sleep training, and other new mother responsibilities can leave even the most competent parent overwhelmed, stressed and anxious. On top of that, not having time in your day to care for yourself or time for your relationship with your spouse or partner adds more stress.Common stressors for new parents include:

Difficulties with infant feeding

Coping with the pressures around nursing

Sleep deprivation

Sleep training your infant

Learning how to understand and respond to your infant

Fears of being an inadequate parent

Anxiety about the safety of your child

Finding time for self-care

Navigating your changing relationship with your spouse or partner after a baby

Who should seek help?There are typically two types of individuals that seek help from a psychologist after having a baby.

Parents seeking advice and coping skillsMost new parents feel overwhelmed and stressed after having a child. While this is perfectly normal and expected, they wish they had someone to talk to about their stress. They are looking for extra support, concrete infant care tools and techniques, parenting advice, and coping skills for this new phase in life. Meeting with a psychologist, who is also a child specialist, provides support and guidance to help them navigate and cope with these new challenges.Parents at risk for or experiencing mental health problemsSome parents experience a level of stress that becomes debilitating. They may become clinically depressed or anxious. Hormonal changes may also cause clinical problems. While the press has given much attention to postpartum depression, postpartum anxiety is another very real problem that can occur in new mothers. For parents experiencing either postpartum depression or anxiety, we provide cognitive-behavioral treatment that targets these clinical symptoms.